5. Stevens Institute of Technology history was the first mechanical engineering college in the U.S.
Overlooking the Hudson River, Stevens Institute of Technology was the first American college dedicated to mechanical engineering. Established in 1870, the university sits on land first bought by John Stevens in 1784 (whose eldest son was the first commodore of the New York Yacht Club). Stevens’ son Edwin, who died in 1868, wrote in his will that he would give up the land for the establishment of an institution, and two years later, the institute opened with courses based on the European Polytechnic model. The first students would predominantly earn degrees in mechanical engineering, though some Ph.D. programs were offered in chemistry and physics; this mades the school one of the first in the nation to grant doctoral degrees.
The school greatly expanded in the early 1900s as more degree programs and fields of study were added. The school took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program during World War II, and over two decades later, the school established the nation’s first floating dormitory aboard the SS Stevens. The university over the years gained some valuable works, including exact copies of Da Vinci’s manuscripts and artwork by alum Alexander Calder. The college also boasts some of the best views of Manhattan, including from Castle Point, the highest point in Hoboken, which was formerly the site of a 40-room mansion.